The announcement that development of Space Marine 3 had begun sent ripples of excitement and concern through the Warhammer 40,000 community, especially as it came just six months after the release of Space Marine 2. Publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive made the announcement in mid-March, sparking questions about the future support for Space Marine 2.
In a recent blog post, both companies addressed these concerns directly, reassuring fans that Space Marine 2 would continue to receive support. They stated, "Mid-March, we announced that Space Marine 3 had begun development and we’re excited to see your enthusiasm, although we hear those of you who fear for Space Marine 2 and its future support. So let us set the record straight: Space Marine 3 does not mean the end of Space Marine 2's development. Far from it. No teams are shifting over, no one is abandoning the game, and our plans to bring more awesome content to Space Marine 2 remain."
The companies outlined their plans for Space Marine 2, confirming that the year one roadmap is still in place and that Patch 7 is scheduled for release in mid-April. Excitingly, they also announced that new content is on the horizon, including a new class, new PvE operations, and new melee weapons. They teased, "Trust us, there are surprises even dataminers haven’t found out about :)." This announcement signals the beginning of a new project, Space Marine 3, which is still years away from release.
The big news for Space Marine 2 fans is the addition of a new class, with speculation centering around the possibility of an Apothecary, which is the closest thing to a medic in the Space Marines' arsenal, or even a Librarian, which would introduce warp-powered space magic into the gameplay. As for the new melee weapon, fans are eager to see the iconic axe from Secret Level’s Warhammer 40,000 animated episode, with modders already taking the initiative to bring this into the game.
The decision to greenlight Space Marine 3 comes as no surprise given the success of Space Marine 2. In an interview with IGN following Space Marine 2's launch, Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits hinted at the possibility of story DLC and mentioned that ideas for Space Marine 3 were already being discussed. He noted, "Our game director Dmitry Grigorenko, he has proposed some story ideas that could either be DLC or a sequel. Yes, yes, yes! There's so many different factions... there are other chapters, too, that are interesting..." This suggests that Space Marine 3 will continue the narrative established in its predecessor.
